Guàn-Lǐ
Guàn-Lǐ (惯理( )) is a Shinigami and a member of the Gotei 13. Both the Corps Commander of the Patrol Corps as well as the lieutenant of the 2nd Division, his origin is that of a spiritually gifted human who perished against a horde of hollows nearly a century before the current timeline. An incident witnessed by Marechiyo Ōmaeda, the former lieutenant, he personally ferried the potent soul to Soul Society where he used his influence to introduce Guàn-Lǐ into the Shin'ō Academy. His special talents allowed him to prove himself against both the natural born souls of Soul Society and the other souls which were brought from the Human World. Rather than allow the other divisions the chance to obtain Guàn-Lǐ, Ōmaeda convinced the captain of the Second Division to recruit him to join the Onmitsukidō, where his subtle powers continued to blossom. Obtaining shinigami training, Guàn-Lǐ managed to combine it with his natural skill-set. A feat that allowed him to eventually become the lieutenant of the second division after Marechiyo Ōmaeda's retirement. Appearance Personality Guàn-lǐ History Born Guàn-lǐxiǎng (惯理想( )) Plot Equipment Powers & Abilities Shunpo Practitioner: Guàn-Lǐ is a considerably skilled user of Shunpo. He is known for his soundless movements and light steps. Guàn-Lǐ specializes in rapid maneuvers meant to remain out of the sight of his opponent. This, combined with his predictive abilities, forces his opponents to remain a step behind during combat. *'Speed Clones': Guàn-Lǐ is a practitioner of leaving intangible clones in his wake. With a maximum of one clone, he often uses strategic planning to keep his opponents guessing. Going as far as utilizing it for rapid substitutions in order to create an opening. Hakuda Practitioner: In terms of shinigami arts, his skills with Hakuda is comparable to other Corp Commanders. He is able to strike and counter with great efficiency and timing, utilizing his speed to catch opponents during their switch from defense to offense. His style of combat is based upon counter striking as it is during their offensive movement that their defense is weakened the most. However, Guàn-Lǐ is a master of the famed Drunken Boxing of the northern Rukongai districts. Loosening his muscles and allowing the motions to flow through, it becomes an impossible challenge to grapple let alone strike the drunken shinigami. His body transitions in between movements and maneuvers while his strikes lack hesitation. While he can imitate this state sober, his drunken fist receives an immense boost when he is actually intoxicated. This is exhibited especially after invoking Tejaku. The conscious restraints placed upon his subconscious are removed. Allowing him to access an untapped reservoir of both power and speed. Expert Swordsman: Guàn-Lǐ is masterful in the art of Tantojutsu. His preferred weapons are knives and daggers as well as projectile weapons such as throwing knives and shurikens. He states that their short range nature allows him to utilize his speed in order to quickly strike his opponents. No matter how strong a swordsman, a master of the dagger will reach his target before the opponent. Guàn-Lǐ has shown himself to be ambidextrous, using the double edged design of his Tanto to strike his target from various angles. When combined with his natural speed, he continuously darts from position to position while rapidly striking his opponent. Guàn-Lǐ dislikes blocking as he believes the second movement wastes a prime opportunity. Instead, he meets an attack and glides along the opponent’s movement to cover the distance. Master Assassin: As the second highest position in the Onmitsukidō, Guàn-Lǐ is one of the upcoming masters in the art of assassination. His usage is beyond hiding in the dark or masking his movement with shrouds or tricks. Rather, practices remaining hidden while in plain sight. Deception. Intoxication. Poison. Guàn-Lǐ is perhaps one of the only assassins known to be able to act in broad daylight. He is fond of disguises, false histories and names, as well as manipulating the emotions of others to achieve his goal. Guàn-Lǐ often states the best assassinations are killing that don’t require the assassin’s presence. Such as creating a twisted tale that leads to rivalries or even betrayal among lovers. It is this darkness that has allowed him to reach his rankings within the Onmitsukidō despite his bleeding heart. His ability to manipulate and judge with precision is only held back by his conscious inability to follow orders that are not inline with his beliefs. Kidō Expert: Upon stating that he disliked the nature of Shuten-Dōji, Guàn-Lǐ dedicated his practice to the art of Kidō... High Spiritual Power: Nì-Fēng has shown that his spiritual pressure is average among the lieutenants of the Gotei 13. *'Masterful Reiatsu Control': Despite having an average amount of spiritual pressure among lieutenants, it is his control over this energy that has earned him praise among peers. He displays a unique understanding between the Reikaku and the other senses of the body. Another aspect of his Reiatsu control is the active usage of several of his natural abilities. Guàn-Lǐ can concentrate his spiritual power upon certain areas to reinforce its offensive and defensive capabilities. Focusing it upon his hands allows him to repel attacks of a greater strength while pointing it towards his weapon grants him damage against opponents of a higher stature. Streaming his Reiatsu through his weapon increases the length of his blade in the split second of his strike. Which, when combined with the speed of his movement, grants Guàn-Lǐ the ability to continuously manipulate the enemy’s perception of his weapon’s distance. *'Absence of Presence': Guàn-Lǐ is talented in the control of his own Reiryoku. His superiors state that this stems from the nature of his powers. In that the constant meditation taught by the academy showed the young shinigami how to better understand his own soul. Essentially, he is able to completely suppress the Reiatsu created by his Reiryoku. This has become almost a subconscious skill, causing those who rely on their reiryoku senses to note that it appears as if Guàn-Lǐ lacks a presence. In battles where an opponent focuses on their Reikaku, Guàn-Lǐ's absence of presence can be used to throw off their perception of him. Enhanced Strength: Guàn-Lǐ has the average strength for a lieutenant of his size. Enhanced Durability: Guàn-Lǐ’s durability has allowed him to take on numerous task and opponents without succumbing to defeat. However, he is more fond of avoiding damage entirely. Enhanced Endurance: Zanpakutō Shuten-Dōji (朱天銅路, Vermillion-Sky, Copper Road): In its sealed form, Shuten-Dōji takes the form of a tantō with hilt wrapped in a brownish cloth. Its sheathe is black and has a crimson seal printed at its center. It is kept wrapped to Nì-Fēng’s left arm. *'Shikai': It is triggered by the command "Pleasure, Without Constraint" (喜ばせ, 制約なし, Yorokobase, Seiyaku nashi). Unsheathing the blade, he grabs onto Shuten-Dōji and points the tip towards the sheathes opening as if pouring something into it. From the sheathe comes a mist as well as a silent hiss. Mist rises and covers both the sheath and blade itself. When the mist vanishes, it is revealed that Shuten-Dōji takes the form of a small black tokkuri wrapped around his waist by a crimson cloth. The tokkuri has Kanpai (‘’乾杯, Dry Cup’’) engraved on it. The color scheme of the clothe and tokkuri matches the sunset of the sky, creating a crimson/brownish contrast. Nì-Fēng states that his shikai is the worst for direct combat as it removes his primary defensive item, his blade. :Shikai Special Ability: The power of Shuten-Dōji is thought to be to entice those around him to partake in the ultimate indulgence. An indiscriminate invitation to all around Guàn-Lǐ to a drink. And such, he is able to create and generate the liquor needed to host said occasion in bulbous amounts. However, those who witness Shuten-Dōji’s power states that it is a spirit befitting an assassin. For it utilizes the ultimate poison that all living creatures consume willingly and for recreation. It parades itself as a zanpakutou meant for an innocent experience while it is actually a malicious spirit. Just as an assassin would disguise himself as a dear friend or loved one, Shuten-Dōji disguises its horrific nature as an innocent celebration. It treats alcohol as it truly is, a poison, and gives Guàn-Lǐ the ability to generate it from his tokkuri in endless amounts. He can pour it from his flask in a liquid form or produce it as an ominous mist that spreads outwardly. The liquor is a golden tint with an intoxicating and alluring honey scent, considered by many as the a true poison. *'Kenbō no Goajizake' (健忘の五味酒, Five-Flavored Drink of Forgetfulness): An advancement of Guàn-Lǐ's basic powers, Fēng is able to generate alcohol in a gaseous state as opposed to an actual liquid. It is a golden mist that smells and taste of honey whose alcohol content is manipulated by Guàn-Lǐ. He can make it weak enough to simply induce unconsciousness, drunkenness or vertigo, or enhance the concentration to fatal levels. Since alcohol in this state is inhaled rather than drunk, it is injected directly into the bloodstream in a manner similar to oxygen. And such, delivered to the brain in a quicker rush and absorbed at a rate quicker than normal consumption. Additionally, victims are unable to vomit or remove it from their system through other natural methods. Forcing them to compound the effects of the alcohol without a way of expelling it from their body. Truthfully, they are often unaware of anything unusual occurring within their body. When combined with the drunken state induced upon his victims, they often find themselves suddenly suffering from a situation they are unable to accurately assess. Removing their ability to properly think, inhibiting their deduction prowess and even their ability to properly retain information. Should he fail to actively defeat his opponent, continuous usage forces those within his environment to succumb to alcohol poisoning and other physical damage caused by inhaled alcohol. During situations where a swift victory is necessary, the mist will lessen even the greatest of warriors. Allowing him to overcome his opponents rather easily. Compared to other zanpakutou which can be combated against by having high spiritual power, Shuten-Dōji is a power that transforms Shuten-Dōji’s own spiritual pressure into liquor. Which means that the effects are strictly physical, allowing him to effect those of a higher standing than his own. Only one’s natural alcohol tolerance is capable of withstanding it, and even then, he can increase the concentration as desired. *'Tejaku': Weakness Quotes Trivia *